Last night I dreamt of Daphne du Maurier

Let's read more of her thrilling books (not just watch the movies)

With Sylvia Plath’s birthday coming up on October 27, I was going to share something about her in this week’s edition. Had she lived, she would be turning 92! (That is, had she reached this ripe old age.) Instead, we have that indelible image of her, frozen in youth.

But all my content about this talented poet is so depressing! What’s not depressing about a brilliant life cut short and a marriage so uncannily tragic that you could hardly make it up? Rest in peace, Sylvia Plath, your brief life was blazingly brilliant and touched so many, so deeply.

No one needs more to be depressed about these days, so I’m turning to something a bit thrilling and uplifting as we head into late October, the season of spookiness. Today I’ll be paying homage to Daphne du Maurier (1907 – 1989), the British novelist, playwright, and short story writer best known for her romantic thrillers.

Daphne around 1930; photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Daphne was born and raised in London, growing up in a creative family connected with the literary and theatrical worlds. Though she’s best remembered for Rebecca (1938), she was an incredibly prolific writer of novels, short stories, and biographies.

Because her work sold like hotcakes, she wasn’t taken as seriously as she might have been had her work had less popular appeal. In recent years, re-evaluations of her work have recognized her immense talent as a compelling storyteller with plenty of literary merit.

The subject of this week’s edition, references the iconic first line of Rebecca: “Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderlay again …” Let’s get to know Daphne duMaurier’s life in letters a bit better …

Her first novel was published when she was twenty-four

The Loving Spirit was published in 1931 when Daphne was twenty-four years old. The title is taken from a poem by Emily Brontë and tells the story of a family over four generations. This early success helped Daphne sell stories regularly to magazines such as The Bystander and Sunday Review.

The publication of The Loving Spirit caught the attention of Major Frederick Arthur Montague Browning, who immediately sought her out. Daphne married Frederick “Boy” Browning in 1932, and in 1946 became Lady Browning.

Rebecca has never gone out of print

Published in 1938, Rebecca was an immediate bestseller, selling more than a million copies in hardcover in no time. Millions more were sold in the years after, and it has been adapted for film, television, and stage. Rebecca has never been out of print, and is one of my favorite books of all time!

In 1940, just two years after its publication, it was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

There have been other adaptations, including mini-series. Whatever you do, do not watch the 2020 Netflix adaptation! Not only is it miscast, but takes unnecessary liberties with an already perfect plot.

The 1940 film adaptation of Rebecca was perfectly cast and struck the book’s emotional tone.

Hitchcock directed three films based on her books

Alfred Hitchcock adapted three of Daphne’s books for the big screen. Jamaica Inn (1939) was the last film Hitchcock made in his native England before moving to the U.S.

His direction captured Rebecca (1940) in a wonderfully moody and fairly faithful adaptation. Because of the Hayes Code, there was one salient plot point that had to be changed. To say more would be a spoiler, so I won’t.

For some reason, Rebecca is always available to watch for free on YouTube. It’s a good choice for a romantic Halloween date; mysterious and a bit spooky, yet not scary.

The film version of The Birds (1963) was more frightening than the short story on which it’s based, and much altered for the screen. If you like to be scared out of your mind, have at it, but I don’t recommend it — if there’s such a thing as too disturbing, this film would be it for me. Whenever I see a black cloud of migrating starlings, I inevitably think (not fondly) of the film.

There were many other films based on her books

Film adaptations by other directors based on her novels, in addition to Rebecca, have included My Cousin Rachel (1952, 2017), The Scapegoat (1959), Frenchman’s Creek (1944, 1998), and Don’t Look Now (1973).

I enjoyed the audiobook and film versions of My Cousin Rachel (1951). The film rights were fought over even before the book was published. Just a year later, the 1952 movie adaptation came out — a wonderful vehicle for Olivia de Havilland and Richard Burton (in his debut film role).

The 2017 remake of My Cousin Rachel is a crashing bore. Not a good sign for something that’s supposed to be suspenseful. As always, read the book first.

She published nearly forty books

There are a half dozen or so novels and stories for which Daphne is best remembered, corresponding with the aforementioned titles adapted to film. But she was incredibly prolific — her publishing credits include numerous lesser-known novels and short story collections.

She wrote nonfiction as well, including memoirs of her own family, the talented du Mauriers. And given her abiding interest in all things Brontë, it’s fitting that among her nonfiction titles is The Infernal World of Branwell Brontë (1960), a portrait of the troubled brother of theBrontë sisters that she so admired.

Daphne du Maurier was also a playwright

Though Daphne is best remembered for her novels, she also wrote three plays that were produced on the British stage. The first was an adaptation of Rebecca, which opened in 1940 at the Queen’s Theatre in London.

Next was The Years Between, staged first at the Manchester Opera House in 1944, and then at Wyndham’s Theatre in 1945. Finally, September Tide opened at the Aldwych Theatre in 1938. All three plays were successful, particularly The Years Between.

She lived in the manor home that inspired Manderley

Rebecca was set in a sprawling manor called Menabilly on the Cornwall coast of England. Daphne happened to see it when she was a girl and vowed to one day move into it. In 1943, after Rebecca had brought her fame and fortune, she and her husband leased Menabilly.

The 70-room Menabilly manor that inspired Manderley in Rebecca became the author’s beloved home. Here is an account from Daphne's daughter, Flavia Leng, reminiscing on growing up in the famed estate.

She was inspired by the Brontës

Set on the windswept moors, Jamaica Inn takes inspiration from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë; it also has elements of Thornfield Hall from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847). Rebecca has echoes of Jane Eyre, which you can read more about in this in-depth analysis.

Daphne was known to draw inspiration and connections between her beloved Cornwall (county in England) and the Yorkshire moors, where the Brontë sisters lived.

Last couple of weeks before my Etsy Shop goes on hiatus. Gift books from my other life as a vegan cookbook author (plus the satiric Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife). Signed copies make great gifts!